Why I Don’t Like Mindreading (and How I Do It My Way)

I’ve never really enjoyed performing mindreading. It doesn’t fit my character or my style as a magician.

But I’ve long been fascinated by it. I’ve explored and practiced it for years because I’ve always wanted to make sense of “mentalism” — not as a trick, but as a human experience.

For me, it’s more than predicting thoughts. It’s about connection, feelings, memories, dreams, frustrations, and wants — the things that make people real.

Feeling Over Guessing

Many mindreading effects rely on logic — asking “yes” or “no” questions, focusing on letters, or searching for tells. That approach has never made sense to me. It feels too mechanical — like solving a puzzle instead of creating an experience.

One effect I’ve tried, created by Vincent Hedan, involves having someone think of a word from a book. Instead of asking them to spell it out in their mind or answer questions, I ask them to feel it.

I ask:

“What emotion do you associate with that word? What moment or memory does it remind you of?”

They might say they feel happy, sad, nervous, hopeful — and from there, I connect with that emotion. I tell them that I’ve also felt that same feeling, and through that shared emotion, we arrive at the word they’re thinking of.

It’s not about reading the mind. It’s about reading the feeling.

The Real Magic

That’s the kind of magic that resonates with me — not about power, but about empathy. Not about knowing, but about understanding.

When someone feels seen and understood — even for a moment — that’s more magical than any reveal.

Vincent Hedan loved this approach and even mentioned he’d like to feature it in one of his books or articles. I’ve also shared it with fellow mentalists like Emmanuel Espiritu and Trycks Gutierrez, who appreciated its emotional depth and simplicity.

So while I may not like performing mindreading, I love what it stands for.

Because real magic doesn’t just happen in the mind —it happens in the heart.